News
Tesla ‘refresh’ of Model S and X isn’t coming, says Elon Musk
Elon Musk recently debunked rumors of an upcoming refresh for the Tesla Model S and Model X. In a recent series of tweets, Musk clarified that the flagship vehicles would continue to receive ongoing changes and updates to their design, such as the new high-efficiency Model 3 motors that were fitted into the Model S and X’s front drive units last April. As for a complete refresh involving a new design and interior, Musk stated that there would be no such thing.
“There is no ‘refreshed’ Model X or Model S coming, only a series of minor ongoing changes. Most significant change in past few years was to use high efficiency Model 3 rear drive unit as S/X front drive unit. That went into production 3 months ago,” Musk wrote in a Twitter post.
There is no “refreshed” Model X or Model S coming, only a series of minor ongoing changes. Most significant change in past few years was to use high efficiency Model 3 rear drive unit as S/X front drive unit. That went into production 3 months ago.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2019
Musk was notably firm in his Twitter responses, stating that there will also be no refresh of the large sedan and SUV’s interior as well. With this in mind, customers looking to purchase either a Model S or Model X are best advised to buy a vehicle today. Otherwise, as noted by one of the CEO’s followers on Twitter, buyers holding out for a refreshed Model S and X will most definitely be waiting for a very, very long time.
Musk’s recent updates on Twitter stand in contrast to rumors that have emerged over the past month. In early June, for example, speculations from a reported Tesla insider suggested that the company is preparing to release a refreshed Model S with three electric motors and a range that exceeds 400 miles per charge. These rumors, which were reported by Tesla owner-enthusiast Kim in YouTube’s Like Tesla channel, further suggested that the revamped Model S and Model X are currently undergoing testing in extreme heat in areas such as the Mojave Desert and Death Valley.
Exactly
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2019
This was not all. In late May, a report from CNBC, which cited multiple sources from within the electric car maker, claimed that the company was rejiggering its Fremont, CA plant for the upcoming production of a refreshed Model S. Similar to the information related to the YouTube host and Tesla owner-enthusiast, CNBC’s sources also mentioned a battery pack that delivers over 400 miles of range per charge. The publication further claimed that initial production of the refreshed flagship sedan could begin as early as September.
While Elon Musk has stated that there won’t be a full refresh for the Model S and Model 3, the CEO did assure the Tesla community that the two vehicles will continue to get improved over time. With this in mind, those purchasing the cars today and in the coming months will most definitely receive the best that the company has to offer with regards to its two flagship vehicles. As for the rumored improvements that are reportedly part of the Model S and X’s upcoming refresh, perhaps these will be rolled out as improvements as well.
Musk’s recent announcement stands as yet another proof that Tesla is no ordinary carmaker. Traditional automakers do not release incremental improvements on their vehicles; instead, they release a set of updates in a refreshed version a few years later. Tesla moves far quicker than this, rolling out improvements and efficiencies to its electric cars as soon as the technology is available. With this in mind, it appears that “refreshed” or not, the Model S and Model X will retain their place as two of the best premium EVs in the market today.
Elon Musk
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered the closure of an investigation involving Elon Musk and social media platform X. The inquiry had been pending for about two years and examined whether the platform was used to coordinate attacks against members of the judiciary.
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
According to a report from Agencia Brasil, the investigation conducted by the Federal Police did not find evidence that X deliberately attempted to attack the judiciary or circumvent court orders.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet concluded that the irregularities identified during the probe did not indicate fraudulent intent.
Justice Moraes accepted the prosecutor’s recommendation and ruled that the investigation should be closed. Under the ruling, the case will remain closed unless new evidence emerges.
The inquiry stemmed from concerns that content on X may have enabled online attacks against Supreme Court justices or violated rulings requiring the suspension of certain accounts under investigation.
Justice Moraes had previously taken several enforcement actions related to the platform during the broader dispute involving social media regulation in Brazil.
These included ordering a nationwide block of the platform, freezing Starlink accounts, and imposing fines on X totaling about $5.2 million. Authorities also froze financial assets linked to X and SpaceX through Starlink to collect unpaid penalties and seized roughly $3.3 million from the companies’ accounts.
Moraes also imposed daily fines of up to R$5 million, about $920,000, for alleged evasion of the X ban and established penalties of R$50,000 per day for VPN users who attempted to bypass the restriction.
Brazil remains an important market for X, with roughly 17 million users, making it one of the platform’s larger user bases globally.
The country is also a major market for Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which has surpassed one million subscribers in Brazil.
Elon Musk
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Amazon after the company opposed SpaceX’s proposal to launch a large satellite constellation that could function as an orbital data center network.
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
Amazon recently urged the FCC to reject SpaceX’s application to deploy a constellation of up to 1 million low Earth orbit satellites that could serve as artificial intelligence data centers in space.
The company described the proposal as a “lofty ambition rather than a real plan,” arguing that SpaceX had not provided sufficient details about how the system would operate.
Carr responded by pointing to Amazon’s own satellite deployment progress.
“Amazon should focus on the fact that it will fall roughly 1,000 satellites short of meeting its upcoming deployment milestone, rather than spending their time and resources filing petitions against companies that are putting thousands of satellites in orbit,” Carr wrote on X.
Amazon has declined to comment on the statement.
Amazon has been working to deploy its Project Kuiper satellite network, which is intended to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service. The company has invested more than $10 billion in the program and has launched more than 200 satellites since April of last year.
Amazon has also asked the FCC for a 24-month extension, until July 2028, to meet a requirement to deploy roughly 1,600 satellites by July 2026, as noted in a CNBC report.
SpaceX’s Starlink network currently has nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit and serves roughly 10 million customers. The FCC has also authorized SpaceX to deploy 7,500 additional satellites as the company continues expanding its global satellite internet network.
Energy
Tesla Energy gains UK license to sell electricity to homes and businesses
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
Tesla Energy has received a license to supply electricity in the United Kingdom, opening the door for the company to serve homes and businesses in the country.
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
According to Ofgem, the license took effect at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday and applies to Great Britain.
The approval allows Tesla’s energy business to sell electricity directly to customers in the region, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Tesla has already expanded similar services in the United States. In Texas, the company offers electricity plans that allow Tesla owners to charge their vehicles at a lower cost while also feeding excess electricity back into the grid.
Tesla already has a sizable presence in the UK market. According to price comparison website U-switch, there are more than 250,000 Tesla electric vehicles in the country and thousands of Tesla home energy storage systems.
Ofgem also noted that Tesla Motors Ltd., a separate entity incorporated in England and Wales, received an electricity generation license in June 2020.
The new UK license arrives as Tesla continues expanding its global energy business.
Last year, Tesla Energy retained the top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year. According to Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings, Tesla held about 15% of global market share in 2024.
The company also maintained a dominant position in North America, where it captured roughly 39% market share in the region.
At the same time, competition in the energy storage sector is increasing. Chinese companies such as Sungrow have been expanding their presence globally, particularly in Europe.
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
